Group Category Manager (Plasterboard & Insulation)

Group Category Manager (Plasterboard & Insulation)

Do you like working with international stakeholders, creating new business cases for our categories and driving strategic partnerships in category management? Then we have an exciting role in our in Heavy Building Materials team within STARK Group Sourcing which we invite you to apply for sooner than later.

At STARK Group, the largest distributor of heavy building materials in Northern Europe, we aim to create value by sourcing at scale and breaking truckloads into smaller quantities and the mix needed at building sites. Keeping stock of a market-leading assortment in warehouses and branches secures high levels of availability close to customers, product integrity and competitive prices.

Through strong relationships with our +15,000 suppliers, our strategy contributes to significant cost savings on the buying side, better prices, and higher service levels for more than 450,000 tradespeople/customers. We combine global leadership and scale with local presence, to benefit our customers and to provide opportunities for our trusted suppliers.

We are currently looking for a Group Category Manager for Plasterboard & Insulation. This is an influential key specialist role, which sits in our Heavy Building Materials category in our international Group Sourcing team. As a Category Manager you will have the opportunity to work internationally across STARK Group, driving the performance and development of your own category while balancing strategic sourcing discussions and building strong partnerships with selected suppliers. You will work closely with top management and decision-making in a flexible, international work environment.

Ideally, you will be working out of Denmark – or from one of our local offices - but regardless of the location, travelling to international meetings to build and maintain personal relations with suppliers and our Business Units, will be part of your job.

STARK Group is present in 11 countries with +18,500 employees and more than 1.100 branches. We are owned by CVC. Please see more: www.starkgroup.dk

What you will own

In this role, you will drive performance and profitability in our Heavy Building Material business by having:

• Market understanding - your understanding of the market dynamics in the building materials business or comparable B2B businesses will help us become the winning distributor in the categories.
• Stakeholder management – you will apply a structured approach to meeting with key suppliers/partners and internal stakeholders, which will help you foster strong relationships and effective communication.
• European Supplier Program - you will be the primary point of contact for STARK Group suppliers in the category, be accountable for suppliers joining our European Supplier Program (ESP) and you will develop and maintain partnerships with suppliers in the ESP – maximizing the involvement and commercial contributions.
• Business development – based on your updated knowledge of industry developments, trends, and internal business analysis, you will initiate strategic decisions, develop new business ideas within our categories and expand our strategic supplier footprint through our business.
• Supplier portfolio - in collaboration with our Business Units, you will develop our markets in finding new suppliers and strengthen the relationship with our existing partners.
• Assortment development - coordinate and lead the review and implementation of assortment activities in collaboration with the Business Unit category teams including the improvement of strong Own Brands in HBM.
• Marketing activities - define and agree on common supplier campaigns and cross-country marketing activities in coordination with Business Units category teams.
• Knowledge exchange - facilitate best practice sharing across the Group to drive performance and compliance.

Your work experience

• You have prior experience in category management from the builders’ merchant business (considered a plus but not a requirement) or related industry.
• Experience from working in an international sourcing role across national boundaries in a larger international company?
• Experience from navigating a matrix organization.
• You have proven experience in networking and managing stakeholders and have built solid business-enhancing relationships in your previous roles.
• You have proven experience with conducting fact-based and strategic negotiations.

Personal competencies

• Structured, proactive, and self-driven working style.
• Comfortable switching between strategic direction and hands-on business case work.
• Strong communication and presentation skills; able to influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
• Analytical and numerate; able to synthesize complex information.

• The Heavy Building team is internationally located, so you should be professionally fluent in English.

How to apply?

We look forward to receiving your application and a CV ASAP. You will report directly to our Vice President Group Sourcing Heavy Building Materials, Matthias Habedank. If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact him via email matthias.habedank@starksourcing.com.